I don't hate you boy
by blahblahblah97
Summary: "I don't hate you Stefan. And I will not hate you until I know there is nothing left of you to save. Even after that. But I'm not going to give up on you, Stefan.All I need is a little hope."Start of season 3.Instead of calling Elena he called Caroline.


**Okay, so this is set at the start of season three. It is a one off thing. Heavy Steroline FRIENDSHIP. (Although I do love the occasional Steroline/Daroline/Deroline fics...) This is my interpretation of what would have happened, but if you want to see it as romance, well, whatever floats your boat. *shrugs* Okay, so, at "the birthday" instead of calling Elena, Stefan calls Caroline. And I know that Forwood kinky iggy jiggy times happened in this episode, BUT THEY DIDN'T. You didn't see anything! And p.s. I've nearlyish finished "they don't know us anyway" And I finished a fanfiction "Fire and Ice" about Jem/Tessa/Will in the Infernal Devices and am working on a MI Isabelle fanfic. So there's a lot of stuff in the pipeline!**

That's when she said 'I don't hate you, boy  
>I just want to save you while there's still something left to save'<br>That's when I told her 'I love you, girl  
>But I'm not the answer for the questions that you still have..."<p>

-Rise against

"Hello?" Caroline asked, holding the phone between her shoulder and ear as she fixed her hair back in a pony tail, getting ready for bed. She was in her pyjamas, and was just taking her makeup off from the party. There was silence on the other end. "Hello?" She asked again, and there was still no answer. Caroline started to get ticked off. "Okay, Darth Vader with the creepy breathing, it has been a really long day and I had to clean up some bed sheets with God-knows-what on them. So I'd like to go to bed. Unless you're going to say some _Stefan." _She finished pointedly, and was satisfied when she heard a sharp intake of breath on the other end of the phone. She waited, but he didn't say anything. She sighed.

"Fine. I'll be doing all the talking then. Damon- Damon told me. About Andy. And Stefan, I'm the only you who isn't judging you for it. Elena's...Lena's sad. She wants you to come home. Damon's blaming himself, because of what happened. And he's angry about Andy. But I'm not judging you, because I have killed people. It isn't you. It's like something takes you over, or something." She stopped, wondering if Stefan was going to say anything. He didn't. Caroline started to feel desperate, like she was going to have to claw Stefan back kicking and screaming."You'll be fine, Stefan," she said desperately. "We'll get you back from Klaus. Damon and Elena are looking, and so am I. Granted, Damon doesn't know I am because 'he doesn't need help' but I'm going to find you, and bring you back. We'll get you off the human blood. Maybe you can just use blood bags! I can help you, Stefan. I can help you like you helped me."

Even though Stefan still refused to say anything, it was like she could hear what he wanted to say echoed in her brain. "And it won't be easy, I know it won't. But I'm going to help you. Because Damon and Elena aren't the only ones you left behind!" She whisper shouted. Stefan flinched as the meaning behind her words hit him. He realized that this whole time he'd been wondering about Elena and Damon, and how they were coping, when he'd left someone else behind too. Caroline. "Stefan, I would do anything, _anything, _to get you back to us. I can get closer to Klaus than Damon, he's gonna know him. He doesn't know me. I-I can join him, to make sure nothing happens to you-" She fumbled, and suddenly Stefan snapped.

"No!" He shouted. Stefan put a hand through his hair. "I- I can't- I don't want you to see me like this." He said slowly. He wasn't going to say much, he knew he couldn't. So he knew whatever he did say would have to mean something. "I don't want this for you. Take care of each other. And- don't look for me." He said firmly, in a flat voice. "You should hate me. I killed Andy. I left you, alone." The desperate emotion in his voice when he first spoke was gone, leaving a monotonous tone in its wake. Caroline barked out a laugh. "I don't hate you Stefan. And I will not hate you until I know there is nothing left of you to save. Even after that. But I'm not going to give up on you, Stefan." She fired back at him, and paced her room. "I'm not leaving you with that freaky British dick of the millennium!" Caroline ranted, furious that he would think she'd just _give up. _Stefan smiled to himself, feeling tears start to well in his eyes. "Oh, I missed you, Caroline." He whispered quietly, knowing that she could hear him. Caroline laughed and crying at the same time. "I miss you too. But you'll be okay, Stefan. I'll make sure of it." She said determinedly. Stefan smiled sadly.

"goodbye, Caroline." He said sadly.

"No wait!-" Caroline began, but Stefan had already hung up. She groaned in frustration and threw herself back on her bed. The realisation dawned on her- Stefan called her. Not Damon, not Elena. Her. Then she got a sick feeling at the pit of her stomach when she realised she'd have explain this to his hysterical girlfriend and psychotic brother.

She didn't even know that Stefan was crying on the other phone.

XxX

"Caroline," Stefan said, horrified. "No." He said, the reality dawning on him. He was in the middle of the foyer of the house Klaus had compelled. Surrounded by vampires, and being circled by Klaus, was Caroline. She smiled weakly at him, and shrugged, as if to say 'what was I supposed to do?'

"Oh, yes, Stefan." Klaus drawled, smiling coldly. "Lovely Caroline has decided to join us. I thought, why not? It would be a friendly face to have around the place, and she'll be incentive for you to behave." He came closer to Caroline, moving a piece of her hair. To her credit, she didn't flinch. Caroline merely turned her head in the opposite direction. Klaus laughed happily, and clapped his hands. "Oh, she's fiery. I like that." Stefan gaped in horror, hoping this was all some bizarre dream he would wake from. "I'm not here for you," Caroline said calmly to Klaus, shooting daggers at him. "I'm here for Stefan." She finished, all bravado, but Stefan knew she was scared. He wanted Caroline to run, leave, but he knew she wouldn't. She wouldn't leave him because she doesn't leave her friends behind. Her eyes flickered to his, and she quickly mouthed, 'Damon's okay.' Stefan had no doubt in his mind his brother had no clue about Caroline's plan. No, this was all the baby vampires terrible, _terrible _idea. The reality of what Caroline's plan was hit him like a tonne of bricks, and it made him stagger back a step. She'd joined Klaus to save him. She'd sacrificed herself to be his redemption.


End file.
